September 3, 2017Vladimir Putin sent greetings to the participants and guests of the Third Eastern Economic Forum.The President's message reads:”I would like to extend my warm greetings to all participants and guests of the Third Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok.The Russian Far East’s proximity to the large and rapidly growing Asia-Pacific market, its wealth of resources and unspoilt natural environment, and the unparalleled transport, logistics and industrial potential to be found here are all attracting increasing international attention. This is confirmed by the growing number of Forum participants: officials, business leaders, scientists, and experts from a variety of countries.Russia is faced with an ambitious target: to provide the best possible conditions for doing business in the Far East, to launch new manufacturing capabilities, and to create additional jobs. It is with this objective in mind that advanced special economic zones have been set up, offering tax incentives, simplified government regulation and oversight, and extensive infrastructure. More than 700 Russian and foreign companies are already taking advantage of these benefits, working on a range of highly promising projects in the Far East. We expect the number of such initiatives to increase as a result of this Forum.Russia’s Far Eastern strategy is based on openness to collaboration and an interest in promoting the broadest possible international cooperation. As such, the theme of working together within multilateral structures such as the Eurasian Economic Community, the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, ASEAN, and APEC takes up, by tradition, an important part of the Forum’s agenda. I am confident that your discussions will facilitate the development of effective models for combining various integration processes, and will help us to move further towards creating a Greater Eurasian partnership.I wish you all the best and a successful and productive Forum.“